Community colleges propose cutting programs

Moorpark, Oxnard and Ventura colleges could eliminate programs ranging from computer science to sign language as the district that oversees them prepares to cut at least $11 million from its budget next year.

"Really, we're downsizing," said James Meznek, chancellor of the Ventura County Community College District. The district is facing a deficit of $11 million to $13 million for the 2012-13 fiscal year, he said.

Meznek asked the presidents of each college to submit a list of programs they thought could be cut for financial reasons, or because they were redundant or ineffective. The cuts would take effect next school year, not this year.

Eliminating some programs also will allow the district to maintain classes in areas that have more demand, said Sue Johnson, vice chancellor of business and administrative services.

"You can't shave around the edge forever," Johnson said. "Then you have to go in and say, 'This is not a viable program.'"

Faculty at the colleges learned about the proposed cuts through deans or the presidents of the academic senates. Under the proposals, Ventura would not lose any full-time faculty, but Moorpark potentially would lose seven and Oxnard nine, Meznek said. Ventura would lose fewer full-time faculty because it already has been making cuts, Meznek said.

The colleges must let professors know by March 15 if they might be laid off. The district has laid off part-time faculty over the past few years, but this is the first time full-time faculty could be laid off.

That's left faculty uneasy, said Peter Sezzi, president of the Academic Senate at Ventura College, who questions whether the deficit will even materialize.

"There's a lot of fear in the air," Sezzi said. "I'm not in complete agreement that we're going to have the catastrophe the district is anticipating."

The academics are the foundation of the college. I really wish we could offer every program we did in the past, but what can you do with all these budget cuts?

The district already has cut classes, laid off employees and even shifted its mission in response to ongoing state budget cuts over the past three years. Now, instead of trying to be all things to all students, the colleges focus on courses that lead to a degree or certificate, or that prepare students to transfer.

That means they've whittled away classes they consider nonessential, cutting an Italian class, for example, to make way for another math class, Johnson said.

Arshia Malekzadeh, 20, who is in his third year at Moorpark College, understands the need to focus on core classes, though he feels for students whose programs could be cut.

"The academics are the foundation of the college," Malekzadeh said. "I really wish we could offer every program we did in the past, but what can you do with all these budget cuts?"

This year, community colleges statewide were cut by $400 million. The district's budget was cut by $7.5 million. And colleges could face more cuts if anticipated tax revenues don't come through.

Ongoing cuts are making it hard for the colleges to meet the needs of students, said Steve Hall, president of the American Federation of Teachers, which represents faculty.

"We're turning people away at a time of double-digit unemployment, when people need to come back to school for retraining," Hall said.

Even with the proposed program cuts, however, the district would not be able to make up next year's funding gap, Meznek said. So the colleges will probably have to cut more course sections, he said, making it even harder for students to get the classes they need.

All that's discouraging for students, said Aaron Padilla, 32, who is in his second year at Oxnard College. Students who don't have cars may have trouble going to another college if the program or classes they need is eliminated at their campus, he said. Already, it's hard getting into the classes they need, and when they do, those classes are often crowded, he said.

"So students drop out for the entire year, or sometimes forever," Padilla said. "It's not looking bright at all. It's a lot of burden for a lot of students."